Pipe-patch.



Patented Aug. I5, I899.

B. A. BUCKER.

PIPE PATCH.

(Application filed May 8, I699.)

(No Model.)

1 a a 1 s UNIT STATES PATE T 'QFFICE.

BENJAMIN RUCKER, OF-BEDFORD CITY, VIRGINIA.

PIPE-PATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,179, dated August15, 1899.

Application filed May 8,1399. Serial No. 715,970- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN A. RUOKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bedf ford City, in the county of Bedford audState ofVirginia, have invented a new and useful Pipe-Patch, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to pipe-patches of that class embodying asubstantially U- shaped clamping-strap and a yoke connecting the endsthereof; and the object of the in-' vention is to provide an improvedremovable connection between the clamping-strap and the yoke, wherebythe positioning and removal of the device is facilitated, and leaks insteam, gas, water, and other pipes may be readily and effectivelystopped.

To this end the present invention consists in the combination andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shownin the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in theappended .claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device applied inoperative position to a length of pipe. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken onthe line w 00, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View of amodified form of the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designatesasubstantiallyU-shaped clamp formed from a single strap of flat metal having theextremities of its ends bent outward in opposite directions, so as toprovide the divergent shoulders 2. This clamp is adapted to embrace alength of pipe 3, having the shouldered ends 2 extending beyond one sideof the pipe and conn ected transversely thereof by means of a yoke 4,formed from a single flat bar of metal. The under face of the yoke, nearopposite ends thereof, is provided with substantially L-shaped grooves5, having the horizontal members 6 thereof extending outwardly inopposite directions from each other, and the vertical members 7communicating with the horizontal members at the inner ends thereof. Itwill be understood that after the clamp member 1 has been engaged withthe pipe the yoke 4 is connected therewith by receiving the shoulderedends 2 transversely within the L-shaped grooves 5, whereby the twomembers may be readily connected to-.

gether in an efiective manner.

Intermediate of the ends of the yoke there is provided avertically-threaded opening 8, adapted to receive a binding-screw 9,having its head 10 located above the yoke and its lower end projectingbelow the yoke and provided with a clamping-foot 11, comprising a platebowed transversely and swiveled to the extremity of the bindingscrew. Inthe application of the device to close an opening 12 in the pipe 3 the U-shaped clamp 1' is engaged about the plate opposite the opening, sothat when the yoke 4 is connected to the ends of the clamp theclamping-foot will be located directly opposite the opening. A strip ofsuitable packing material 13 is then placed over the opening and themetallic plate 14 is interposed between the packing strip and theswiveled clampingfoot 11. This plate is concaved upon its inner face, soas to fit snugly the pipe to which it may be applied, and the oppositeends of the plate are beveled, as at 15 and 16, one uponthe in ner sideof the plate and the other upon the outer side thereof; After thepacking-strip and the plate 14 have been positioned the binding-screw isoperated to clamp the foot 11 tightly against the outer face of theplate 14, whereby the latter and the packing-strip are firmly clampedover the opening 12 and thelatteris effectively closed, so' as toprevent escape or leakage of the contents of the pipe.

It will be understood that a long crack in a pipe may be convenientlycovered by the employment of a'plurality of plates 14, as the adjacentends thereof being beveled in opposite directions are adapted to overlapand provide a substantially continuous plate to which a plurality of theclamping devices may be applied so as to effectively bind the severalplates upon the crack, and thereby close the same against leakage.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Fig. 4, and consists inproviding the ends of the U-shaped clamp member with the enlargeddovetailed shoulders 17, adapted to be received laterally intocomplementary dovetailed grooves 18, provided in the under face of theyoke. In each form it will be seen that the enlarged shoulders 2 and 17respectively,

engage against the lower faces of the respective grooves 5 and 18, sothat the clamp memberand the yoke member cannot be separatedlongitudinally by the pressure of the bindingscrew, and therefore theparts are substantially connected together. However,themembers of eachform are adapted to be assembled and separated by receiving the enlargedheads of the clamping member transversely within the grooves of the yokemember, so as to facilitate such operations.

By the construction and arrangement as hereinbefore described a simple,du'rable,and effective pipe-patch is provided having the parts thereofsubstantially connected together and the members adapted to be readilyassembled and separated, so as to facilitate the application to andremoval from the pipe-section.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof this invention.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a pipe-patch,the combination of a substantiallyU-shaped clamping member having its opposite ends provided with enlargedshoulders,a yoke member provided with transverse grooves formed in theunder face, and located near opposite ends thereof and adapted toreceive the shouldered ends of the clamping member transversely withinthe grooves, whereby the two members may be removably connectedtogether, and a binding-screw carried by the yoke intermediate of theends thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a pipe-patch,tl1e combination ofa substantially U -shaped clampingmemberformed from a flat metal strap having its opposite ends benttransversely outward to provide oppositely-extending shoulders, a yokememher having substantially L-shaped grooves formed in its under facenear opposite ends thereof and adapted to receive the respectivetransverse shoulders of the clamping member, and a binding-screw carriedby the yoke and located intermediate of the ends thereof, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a pipe-patch, the combination with a substantially U shapedclamping member having a yoke connecting the ends of the clamping memberand provided with a binding-screw, of a plate adapted to be interposedbetween the foot of the screw and the pipe, one end of the pipe beingbeveled upon the inner side and the opposite end being beveled upon theouter side thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN A. RUCKER.

